Actor Urvashi Rautela under scanner for promoting illegal gambling platforms

The Real Money Gaming (RMG) industry is calling for legal action against actress Urvashi Rautela for endorsing the illegal gambling and betting website 1xBet. Despite multiple government guidelines, the actress continues to violate regulations by appearing in advertisements for an illegal gambling and betting company, industry stakeholders said.

Earlier, Urvashi Rautela had received a backlash for promoting another illegal betting and gambling platform, Lotus365. Moreover, multiple celebrities including Rautela were under scanner of the government for promoting Mahadev Online Book, an illegal betting company.

With multiple sports IPs round the corner, illegal betting and gambling companies are aggressively advertising on multiple mediums in the country.

Legal Concerns Over Endorsements

Jay Sayta, Technology & Gaming Lawyer, stated, "There are several ongoing instances of false and misleading advertisements by illegal offshore betting websites, endorsed by Indian celebrities, despite multiple advisories from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting warning media houses against publishing such advertisements."

Sayta added, "Appropriate action could be taken against endorsers, publishers, and companies facilitating such false and misleading advertisements under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This may include banning such endorsers from promoting any other products or services in the future, as well as initiating criminal prosecution if they fail to comply with the CCPA’s directives."

Additionally, celebrity endorsers may also face charges under state gaming laws, many of which prohibit the publication and advertisement of illegal online gambling activities, Sayta noted.

Failure of ASCI

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory urging endorsers and social media influencers to refrain from promoting or advertising offshore online betting and gambling platforms, including surrogate advertisements, in any form.

The advisory warned, “Failure to comply with the above may result in legal proceedings under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, removal or disabling of social media posts/accounts featuring such promotional content, and penal action under applicable statutes.”

Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director at Rediffusion, criticized the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), stating, "ASCI is a toothless body. It has never been able to enforce guidelines, allowing individuals to circumvent rules without consequences. I have had a long-standing battle with ASCI over surrogate advertising, but the watchdog has always been lax and looked the other way. Now, it’s happening again with betting. So, no surprises. ASCI is just not serious about most matters—they preach but don’t really act."

When asked if ASCI would report the matter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Manisha Kapoor, General Secretary and CEO of ASCI, responded, "ASCI continuously monitors advertisements related to illegal offshore betting and gambling. We have established a dedicated monitoring cell focused on identifying and reporting violations, including offshore betting and gambling advertisements."

"Following a thorough review, any guideline violations or suspicious activities are escalated to the MIB and other relevant administrative ministries. ASCI has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various online gaming associations, including AIGF, EGF, and FIFS, to actively monitor and report any violations by illegal offshore gaming companies," Kapoor added.

Industry Backlash and Government Involvement

Multiple RMG operators have criticized ASCI for failing to proactively report advertising violations. "Legal action should be taken against Urvashi Rautela for flouting norms. While ASCI has collaborated with gaming federations, they have failed as a watchdog in curbing advertisements of illegal betting and gambling platforms."

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) plans to escalate the issue to the government. Roland Landers, CEO of AIGF, stated, "AIGF remains committed to promoting responsible digital advertising and ensuring compliance with government and ASCI guidelines. Through our MoU with ASCI, we actively collaborate to monitor and address illegal and offshore betting and gambling advertisements."

Landers further emphasized, "Despite multiple advisories, offshore operators continue to advertise in India, often using celebrity endorsements, which can mislead consumers and pose significant risks to user safety. AIGF will report this matter, along with other related issues, to the relevant authorities as part of our ongoing efforts to curb such promotions and protect consumer interests."

Storyboard18 reached out to actress Urvashi Rautela for a comment, but she declined to respond.